Thousands of Paddy Bags Soaked in Heavy Rain at Mandis

Thousands of Paddy Bags Soaked in Heavy Rain at Mandis Farmers Express Concern, Demand Immediate Procurement and Protection Measures Nuapada/Khariar: June 28 Heavy rainfall on Saturday evening caused extensive damage to paddy stocks stored at various procurement mandis across Nuapada district, leaving thousands of paddy bags soaked and raising serious concerns among farmers. At the Khariar mandi alone, nearly 60,000 bags of paddy were stored, with a significant number kept in the open due to a lack of adequate covered storage. As rainwater accumulated in the mandi premises, many bags, particularly those stacked at the bottom, remained submerged for several hours and were badly damaged. On Sunday, farmers were seen separating and turning over the wet paddy bags to dry them. According to mandi officials, water was pumped out using motor pumps, but the prolonged waterlogging had already caused considerable damage to the stored paddy. Farmers alleged that despite the damage being caused by rain and inadequate storage arrangements, they would ultimately be blamed for the deterioration in grain quality. They also feared that rice millers might use the reduced quality as a reason to impose arbitrary deductions during procurement, resulting in significant financial losses. The affected farmers have urged the government and district administration to ensure the immediate lifting of paddy from the mandis and to take urgent measures to protect the remaining stocks. They warned that if the rains continue and timely action is not taken, the extent of damage and farmers’ losses could increase further.